


Through Fire and Blood

by MercuryLynx



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Assassination, Azkaban, Best Friends, Bigotry & Prejudice, Bromance, Dark Magic, Death, Department of Mysteries, Durmstrang, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hogwarts, Hurt/Comfort, Intrigue, M/M, Ministry of Magic, Muggles, Murder, Politics, Premonitions, Prophecy, Protective Siblings, Pureblood Politics, Pureblood Society, Quidditch, Rebellion, Self-Sacrifice, Soul Bond, Soulmates, Teen Romance, The Deathly Hallows, Treachery, Unspeakables, Uprising, Violence, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-07
Updated: 2016-03-25
Packaged: 2018-04-19 13:16:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4747826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MercuryLynx/pseuds/MercuryLynx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy are misunderstood magical prodigies of unparalleled skill. Their fathers were doomed to a fate as rivals and enemies, yet when a chance meeting in the Department of Mysteries bond the unlikely allies together in a way that they don't understand, will they manage to survive a turbulent world that increasingly comes to fear their growing power and unusual friendship?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: The Fountain

The blond boy in front of me most definitely didn't belong in here…

Well in all honesty neither did I.

Only Unspeakables and the rare minister were ever allowed access to the Department of Mysteries. In my defense my dad's job as Head Auror can be indescribably boring since everything he works on is always kept top secret.

What managed to free me from my usual boredom was a fabled cloak that had been passed down from the youngest sons of the youngest Peverell's for generations. The moment I turned seven was the moment I became the owner of the third and last surviving piece of the Deathly Hallows, the cloak of invisibility.

It was this treasure and my eleven year old curiosity that had led me so often to abandon my father's office for the solitude of this ancient place.

The blond in front of me sat there silently, leaning over the rim of the fountain to peer longingly into its depths. One of his slender arms was rested lazily on the fountain's stone edge, while the other was braced to support his tilted head. He seemed much too relaxed for someone intruding on the ministry's deepest secrets. What was he even doing here?

The boy was gazing into the bubbling substance with such fixed intensity that to watch him sent shivers down my spine. His gaze was solemn and questioning and full of something beyond even my understanding. My curiosity pushed me closer then, trying carefully to control my breath as I approached him from behind.

His face was bathed softly in the pink glow of the potion, giving me a chance to better examine him. The longer I stared the more difficult it became to shake the unearthly feeling that I recognized him from somewhere.

What really had me perplexed at the moment wasn't my inability to place where I had met the boy before but rather how he had managed to slip into a room in the department of mysteries that is _always_ locked. Even I have to wait for an unspeakable like aunt Hermione to come or go just to slip inside with my cloak.

I was standing right behind him when curiosity again got the better of me: "What on earth are you doing?" I blurted unthinkingly.

In hindsight... I might have used a little more tact. The blond spun dangerously towards my voice and somehow during the motion had managed to catch his foot in the hem of his robes. He stumbled ungracefully backwards towards the rim of the fountain about to fall...

"Bollocks!" I cursed. My hand shot out reflexively from beneath the cloak, grabbing his arm just in time to save him from what would have been an unceremonious bath in the horrendous pink goop.

The violent motion however had caused my cloak to slip off of me, giving me a clearer view of the intruder. Well… I suppose the more accurate description would be that we found ourselves mere inches away from each other's faces.

His features were carved aristocratically but bore a softness to them that for some reason made me blush. Each line of his face looked like it had been drawn carefully by an artist's practiced hands.

After a few moments, I realized horrified, that I'd been staring. I immediately helped him back to a standing position, checking to see if he was alright.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." I blurted out again. "First rule of snooping in the department of mysteries is not to touch anything you are actually familiar with and to stay ten feet away from everything else." I offered with a grin, trying to hide my embarrassment at the situation.

The boy studied me silently with a quizzical expression, before his eyes exploded suddenly into motion. They began darting around my face, not so much examining me as I'm sure assessing how much trouble he was in and how best he could escape it. There was deliberate intensity to those eyes that made me wonder who he was.

"Don't worry about that. I would be in as much trouble as you if they found me in here. Besides I wouldn't tell on you anyway. I'm more curious as to how you got in." I finished, still smiling. The blond seemed to relax a little at that, but I hadn't reassured him enough to keep him from looking calculatingly back towards the door. It was as if he were still contemplating the possibility of running away. He seemed overly cautious for someone my age, I thought humorously to myself as I examined him.

"Thank you for saving me… but… um… I think you can let go of me now." He offered a little flushed. My gaze dropped downwards, realizing that I still had hold of him. After a brief pause, I quickly released his arm and stepped back.

"Um... Sorry..." I mumbled stupidly, cursing to myself for being so distracted. He merely stared skeptically for a moment before resuming.

"You actually don't realize who I am do you?" There was a fearful quality to his question that had me even more curious. I struggled to place him until it hit me…

"Now I know where i've seen you." I shot seriously. "You were with Mr and Mrs. Malfoy at the last god-awful ministry ball. I saw you talking to a bunch of officials and was just about to save you from the boring old crones when our dads started arguing. My uncle told me to stay as far away from your grandfather as possible..."

Oh… well that was really rude. Why can't I seem to control myself right now?

"I am so sorry… I meant… my dad and uncle are always talking a lot of nonsense about the war… I don't really pay attention to anything my uncle Ron says unless its about chess." I muttered quickly in excuse for my awkwardness. Why couldn't I collect myself? I am normally so composed. My eyes drifted back to the pink light of the potion. Maybe the spellwork has a radial area of effect I thought suddenly to myself as my head swam dizzily.

After a brief moment of intense contemplation, Scorpius gave me a small half hearted smile.

"Don't worry about it, grandfather might be a hate filled lunatic, but really he's as harmless as a pygmy puff. Well mostly." he added smiling. "Besides my dad says a great deal about _your_ family too… But you don't seem so bad. And you did save me even though..." He looked down seeming to falter at his last statement.

"Oh... again don't worry about it. Even if I had realized you were a Malfoy… I still wouldn’t have acted any differently" I offered, quickly attempting to reassure him. He flinched knowingly at my words, hurt somewhat by them. "and you don't really look like you could ever be evil." I blurted even more awkwardly. 

_Why can't I control myself?!_ The pink of the fountain was glowing so softly. Something about it must have been affecting me. There was no other explanation. 

His face began to flush brighter at my statement, when suddenly his expression shifted into something quite diabolical. "Oh really, well then you don't know me very well do you little Potter. I can be quite the demon. Or hadn't you heard?" he offered fiendishly with a smirk I could have sworn was identical to the one his father had made talking to mine. I smiled widely at that. I'd heard all manner of ridiculous things about Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy... most of which I didn’t believe. Suddenly my thoughts jolted back to my initial inquiry. How could he possibly have managed to sneak into _the DoM._

"SO demon. How _did_ you get in here?" I asked skeptically.

"What do you mean, _how_? I rode in on a heard of wild dragons as they crashed onto the roof of Whitehall. How else?" Scor asked sarcastically. "I walked through the door obviously."

I hadn't been amused by his sarcasm.

"What? That isn't possible. The locks on these doors are the most complex in the wizarding world. Even I have to sneak in behind an unspeakable and I have to use _this_ little trinket to do it too."

Scorpius glanced wide eyed at the object bunched under my arm.

"Something you aren't mentioning then, demon?"

"What? No. I merely wandered away from father who was having a boring conversation with the MM. Something about this room drew me to it and when I touched the handle to the door it glowed and opened on its own. That's all I know. I was…"

"Lonely?" I asked.

"Bored." He corrected.

"That is impossibly strange. This room is dangerous, more so even than the hall of prophecies. That's why the locks are so complex." I offered, confounded by his story. How could this boy have released magic that advanced unless he was meant to do so.

"You seem to know a lot about the inner workings of the Department of Mysteries?" Scor was staring suspiciously at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Erm… well… I sneak in here a lot actually…" I offered back sheepishly. Well slightly more than a lot… ‘every chance I get’ might have been the more apt description.

"Lonely?" he inquired.

"Bored." I parroted. "Besides my aunt Hermione says I'm too smart for either a Potter or a Weasley. She's always teaching me stuff I shouldn't know yet for a boy my age. I wish I could just stay home and learn from her. I'm much too scared to actually go to Hogwarts…" the thought of so many people really freaked me out. "Anyway, if anyone would know about the DoM it would be my aunt Hermione, she _is_ the… the …" I tried over and over forgetting about my aunts secrecy spell. "Damn fidelus, thats already a commonly known fact! why would it censure that of all things?"

Scorpius chuckled then. "You talk a lot." he managed between laughs. At least he was amused. "Well… learning from the Speaker of Mysteries might be a remarkable opportunity… but why don't you want to go to Hogwarts? Aren't we both supposed to start our first year in September?"

"James says I'm a snake and that I'm going to end up in Slytherin, which would be torture. Can you imagine being surrounded by a group of traitors half of whose parents my father helped jail..." as soon as the words left my mouth Scorpius looked both disappointed and irritated. Mostly he just looked sad. I couldn't imagine what it was like for him to grow up as the son of the most hated man alive. I felt worse that i'd inadvertently insulted him for the third time now. I normally wouldn't have been so careless. After a long silence I started speaking again.

I don't really know what possessed me to tell one of my biggest secrets to a complete stranger, but something about the pink glow on his face was so inviting. That and he seemed genuinely upset by my comment. Even though he was so controlled and reserved at those parties he still always seemed sad and somehow lonely too.

"You have the same eyes as I do… piercing and deliberate. i'd recon we are more alike than you realize. For one I, I'm not the golden child everybody writes about in the papers… They're afraid of me… which makes them hate me. Not everyone obviously… but my family and the people who matter."

He looked at me strangely then, confused by my confession.

"Not that I doubt you're claim… or the reason you decided to tell me that... but why would they be afraid. You know how the world feels about me right… why on earth would they hate _you_."

I broke into an incomprehensible explanation, ashamed and horrified both by my actions then and by my inability to stop myself from sharing the story.

"There was… this kid… Lils… that is my sister… came crying to me that he had twisted her arm. I… got so mad… I mean … she was all bruised and … my magic went seriously out of control… I accidentally conjured some fiendfyre…" I stumbled belligerently through the story, trying with difficulty to get it over with. "I was trying to kill him" I added darkly. "His parents took him to St. Mungo's and mine had to pull so many strings just to keep it out of the Prophet… Thats why I really don't want to go to Hogwarts… thats why I'm so afraid of Slytherin. I'm a wandless adept… I have a tendency to lose control of my magic. At least while I'm at home nobody will get hurt… and nobody else will learn to fear me."

I paused then for a moment to gauge his reaction. I was shocked at myself for having brought it up to a malfoy of all people. Despite his earlier assertion, he seemed as just as lonely as I was.

"I've never told anyone that story before… so please don't repeat it." I added cautiously looking at the strange boy whose eyes seemed to see like nobody I had ever met. He was awake somehow when all the other children our age always felt… asleep.

A long and heavy silence filled the air as we both merely stood there. I searched his eyes for some sign of fear or disapproval, but it never came. A long time passed beneath the glow of the fountain before Scorpius spoke. "I… I think that you did exactly what I would have had anyone thought to hurt my—"

Before he could finish his sentence we heard loud voices from outside followed by the sound of expensive shoes clacking on stone.

"Shit" I cursed eyeing the door, turning back when I heard the fear in the boy's voice.

"I… they can't find me in here. Father… they'll... I don't know what they'll do!" Scorpius sputtered with wide-eyed panic. His fear resonated within me and I knew I had to hide him. They would jail the malfoys if they thought they were spying or tampering with ministry affaires. I doubt Scorpius would have even come in here if he'd known what this place was.

As I tried to throw the cloak over both of us we somehow managed to stumble over the edge of the fountain.

In that moment time seemed to slow itself. I watched in horror as the realization hit me. My life would never be the same.

Scorpius and I hit the goop like a drop of water on a boiling stovetop. My skin felt suddenly like fire and warmth. The sun itself was coursing through my veins. It was the strangest sensation i'd ever felt. It went deeper then, into my heart and soul. Whispers and echoes. Things i couldn't comprehend. What was happening to me?

After we both half drowned ourselves in the pink ooze I was finally able to find my footing. I pulled Scorpius up by the hand, intending to drag him to safety when suddenly we both began to glow at the contact. It lasted only a few seconds but every second brought a thousand new and alien sensations to my brain.

We were oddly close beneath the cloak, merely staring at each other in fearful silence. Neither of us could seem to release the other's hand. I realized suddenly that the shrill screaming was aunt Hermione getting closer.

"You incompetent fools!" My aunt scolded wildly. "The doors are self locking! They however don't open themselves, they don't offer you tea and crumpets in the morning and they are most definitely not self-closing! The spell work is quite complex enough as it is. MERLIN PRESERVE ME! This is basic protocol! You don't _ever_ under any circumstances leave doors open in the DoM. This is a more secure location than Gringotts for christ's sake! Is it too much to ask to close the doors?"

"M'am I'm certain I closed that entrance…"

—Well apparently not. Don't let me catch you within one-hundred feet of me again or I'll have your wand snapped and your memory wiped.

—Yes M'am… but I could have sworn…

— Well see to it that it doesn't happen again you miserable oaf or so help me...

The door slammed at that and my aunt's reprimands grew fainter as did the clicking of her heels on the marble. When my fear at being discovered subsided, I became acutely aware that we were still both glowing. Several minutes passed as we both abandoned any attempt at dislodging ourselves from one another. There was nothing but the sound of our synchronized breath, the wintery ice blue of his eyes and the strange pink glow of our bodies.

When the glowing subsided we slowly pulled away from each other, daring finally to speak.

"That was weird…" I offered, not quite sure what horrible fate our clumsiness would repay us with. "If I were sure that our parents wouldn't murder us for our stupidity I might risk a trip to St. Mungo's Hospital to make sure we weren't going to develop eyes all over our bodies... Scor you are ok right?" I added worriedly examining his bewildered expression.

"I'm… fine… I think…" He offered panting and a little flushed. "What did you call me?"

"Oh… um... sorry. I guess I just… the nickname sort of fits better than Scorpius." I added nervously. "I could keep calling you demon instead if you preferred?

"Oh like Albus Severus is such a gift." The blond shot back with a tepid grin.

"I know, I know, which is why you can call me Al." I countered. "But bugger that, I'm still more curious about what just happened to us, and how you managed to get in here. Its a common held misconception that that is a fountain of amortentia, however my aunt mentioned once that the liquid is actually _more_ peculiar and _much_ more extraordinary. They don't even know what to call it. I would love to talk to my cousin Rose about this…" I added contemplatively. Scorpius simply smiled.

"What?" I asked confused.

"I was thinking there is no way you wouldn't be placed into Ravenclaw with curiosity and intelligence like that. Well you do also talk incessantly. If you went to Hogwarts, then I would at least have one friend at school". The blond added solemnly.

"Even though the Malfoys retained much of their wealth and political connections, the war is still a sore topic for most and Father told me to expect backlash at school from everyone no matter which house I end up in… I'm as nervous as you and I have just as much reason to fear being hated." Scorpius finished staring off into space. He looked too full of understanding for somebody our age. Like me.

"You know… you're hardly as proper or guarded as most of the wealthy purebloods I know. I would have expected your father never to allow any weakness to slip by that flawless mask." I added smugly. He looked at me with eyes that bore right through my skin and into my thoughts themselves.

"And _YOU_ are too perceptive for a ten year old Potter-Weasley. That and maybe you are just not important enough for me to have to hide from." countered the blond with a snarky smirk. 

"You mentioned something personal to me… so I thought… I would do the same." the blond stammered slightly in way of explanation.

"You should get out of here. I'm sure your father will be looking for you. And I don't care what my aunt said, she's reporting this to DoM security. They'll be back any minute."

I had just realized for the second time how much trouble we would both be in if anyone found us here.

Scor and I listened at the edge of the door before deciding it was ok to open again. Only after we had safely dashed through the opening and out into the next hall did we stop to catch our breath, smiling like idiots and grateful for having evaded detection. I turned to examine him once more, not knowing or comprehending in that moment that this boy I’d just met, had barely even known, would someday become the most important person in my life.

"Thanks for saving me… twice. It was nice meeting you Al. I… I really do hope I'll get to see you again at Hogwarts." Scor offered finally, before running down the corridor towards the MM's office. Something frightening about the way my hand tingled told me he most definitely would.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed the prologue. If you did please let me know why. I would really appreciate it. 
> 
> I'm very serious about this project so expect a timely update schedule with content at the same level of quality as this. Much more to come. Mostly, chapters will consist of 1,500-7,000 word postings. I will post every other day or every third day for the next two months so check back regularly for updates.
> 
> Constructive criticism, Compliments or Suggestions are all welcome.
> 
> Love  
> -Mercury


	2. Hogwarts Express pt.1

"Move it Lou!"

"Rosie stop pushing!"

"You stop!"

My favorite cousins were still fighting for space by the steamy windows of our compartment when i took my seat. They were waving and shouting goodbye only to have their calls drowned out by the strident scream of the train's whistle.

"See Lou, you made me miss them!"

"Me? You're mental Rosie!"

Across from us my brother James had already settled in. He'd somehow managed to start a wild wrestling match with Connor Finnegan that threatened to spill over onto our side of the compartment. They were all so… normal.

As the train pulled free of the station, I couldn't help but resent how easy it was for everyone to break into conversation. It was all i could do to sit staring worriedly into space, actively hating how effortless normalcy was for them. My thoughts were elsewhere when James's laughter nearly caused me to miss the unmistakable coiffed head of blond hair striding past.

"Hey Scor! Why don't you join us!" I belted into the corridor, glad for the distraction my new friend would provide. How much of my life might have been different had I simply let him walk past?

A nervous Scorpius came back into view, breaking into a radiant smile when he realized who had called him. There was something pleasantly remarkable about his smile. My initial impression of the blond had been that he rarely lost control of his composure. The few times i'd seen him smile, they were almost exclusively fake.

Scor was about to enter the compartment when he froze cautiously at its entrance. He was eyeing the other occupants of my compartment with such fearful skepticism that I thought he might turn around and run.

SPOV

"Hey twerp, what did you just call him? How on earth do you know the evil Malfoy spawn?" Albus's brother asked, shifting a suspicious eye disdainfully back and forth between me and Al. His rudeness had been overwhelming. How strange that they were brothers. They seemed nothing alike.

"Quiet Jamie, speech is for the more evolved members of society. Don't mind my idiot brother, just come in."

I had to smile at Al's dismissiveness. He hadn't so much as glanced at James. I was about to enter the cramped compartment when 'James' continued his rudeness.

"I'm sorry, but you are not inviting this snake in here with us!"

I was beyond stunned by both brothers' behavior.

"If you are going to be a royal prat to my friend, we'll find our own compartment. Rosie, Lou, I'll catch you a little later yeah?" Albus shot angrily in a flurry of movement. No one would have stood up for me but father or grandmother. I was surprised that Al would dismiss his family to come to a Malfoy's defense. I suddenly remembered why I missed the green eyed boy.

Summer had been dreadfully boring and it was mostly comprised of the memory of our weird meeting in the department of Mysteries. Stranger still was the letter i'd received, telling me Al had decided to come to Hogwarts after all. Father was confounded when I'd snatched the envelop with the Potters seal right from under his twitching eyes. He always had involuntary tics that told me he had been dealing with a Potter or Weasley for work.

"What's your problem!" James barked, grabbing Albus's arm as though to detain him. "I knew you were already gearing up to be a sneaky little Slytherin but hanging around a Malfoy! Do you have any idea how many kinds of sick that is?"

I was about to retort with something witty and befitting of a Malfoy's status when Albus surprised me by continuing to defend me.

"—First of all." Al began, removing his brother's hand as though it were a dirty towel that he had touched by mistake. "His name is Scorpius. Second, even if he were remotely as malign as you make him out to be, his last name isn't a disease. I'm not simply going to catch evil from talking to him for the length of the train ride you halfwit troll. Third, he is actually already my friend and a good deal better company than you, you obnoxious, ill mannered, garden gnome."

It was hilarious how quick Al's tongue had danced circles around his brother. This time Al had grabbed my arm in preparation to leave.

"Rosie, I had this spell I wanted to run by you later. Come find me when you get a minute." With those last words to his bewildered cousins, Al all but dragged me from the room.

I had to admit that for an eleven year old Weasley-Potter, Albus certainly was already as easy with insults as any well cultured (or ill cultured) pureblooded adult. He was most likely going to be unhappy with his sorting i thought to myself as we settled into a vacant compartment.

APOV

We were beyond lucky to find an empty compartment near the back of the train. I didn't want anyone else giving us trouble.

"Sorry about my brother. He can be a git. Don't pay any attention to him. I certainly never do."

"Are you sure that was... wise? I wouldn't want to come between you and your family…" Scorpius started carefully.

"I am my own person. As much as I love my family, I don't let them dictate to me the course of my life. Besides I was hoping to run into you. Well I mean… I wasn't sure how the incident affected you over the summer and I… erm… wanted to make sure you were ok. I would have written again... but I doubt either of our parents would have liked the idea of that… and you know… they would have asked how we knew each other." I felt ridiculous for my bumbling speech. I couldn't control my incessant chatter around him.

"Still… Thanks. I was, _hoping_ , for lack of a better word, to run into you too. Father has kept me mostly out of the public eye so you really are one of the only people I know going to Hogwarts. Or at least that I was actually looking forward to seeing. I just thought that… well… that once in public you wouldn't want to be seen with a Malfoy."

This Scorpius spoke much too meekly for the charismatic boy I remembered at soirées and dinner parties. The blond had this way of engaging with me. He was much too open for anyone I'd ever imagined being raised in an obscenely rich and old family like the Malfoys. Scorpius had always seemed so measured and in control when speaking to adults. I wondered why he had decided to talk to me so… freely.

"I knew who you were at the DoM and I didn't mind." I countered smiling. Scorpius began to protest when I stopped him. "I promise… Even if there had been other people around I wouldn't have acted any differently" At that the blond seemed to relax. His nervousness returned immediately as he struggled to find the right words. My confusion grew with my curiosity. I eyed him as he considered an approach to whatever he wanted to say. I was nearly ready to strangle him for taking so long.

"I never got a chance to tell you… If anyone had ever hurt my father or grandmother that way, I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing." Scorpius blurted awkwardly. "I don't think that makes you evil or anything remotely akin to it…"

Now I understood why he felt so free around me. I guess trusting him with my secret, was what had gotten him to open up as well. I wasn't sure how I felt about him knowing that story though. An unknown impulse had caused me to share it with him in the ministry. I would never have told that to anyone else. Certainly never to a stranger. There was no way the fountain wasn't responsible for it.

"Thanks..." I offered back simply, not knowing what else to say to him. There had always been a distance between myself and the rest of the children my age. I had always felt alien, isolated, alone. I must have known that day, from the way he stared into the fountain, that he was just like me. He was special... or... different... depending on your point of view.

"You know, we're much too serious for children." I started with a smile. "I hope a respectable pureblood wouldn't mind a distracting game of exploding snap with an eleven year old commoner." I smirked, withdrawing a colorful box from my bag.

"Certainly Albus, as long as you not pretend that that's even remotely what you are."


	3. Hogwarts Express pt.2

SPOV  
Albus was definitely far more intelligent than most of the ministry officials I had met. Sure we played and talked about random quidditch players and tossed every flavored beens at each other, but there was something intense he was struggling to hide. Something he had already inadvertently revealed to me in the Dom.

Al stumbled sometimes, or misused a word here or there, but it was his eyes that gave him away. Al was good-hearted and fun, but the way his eyes moved so piercingly deliberate over me, made me realize that he was far older in spirit than he let on.

In fact I'm certain his slip ups were intentional. I found myself wondering what it would have been like to grow up with someone so smart around. I doubted that his family was able to understand that spaced-out stare that I saw as I passed his compartment earlier.

We were about to change to wizards chess when the frizzly haired girl he had called Rosie and the delicate blond he had called Lou came into the compartment.

"Scorpius, these are my two favorite cousins! The genius Rose and the adorable Louis" Al jumped in with a smile, to which the blond blushed and the redhead huffed. "Louis has a sensitive ego… and Rosie resents that her mom thinks I'm smarter than her…" Al whispered mischievously into my ear. "But we love each other to death" he added light heartedly.

APOV

"I saw your sisters on the cover of 'La Jeune Sorcière', they looked stunning, I can't believe how similar you and Victoire look. And Rose, weren't you cited as assisting your mother on that lyncathropy project she worked on during her break from the Ministry this summer. Quite impressive research. Its very nice to meet both of you." Scorpius said with flawless charm, to which both my cousins erupted into beautiful scarlet blushes. He had quite literally already solidified friendships with both my cousins in what had seemed to be only a handful of words and some whispered insight on my part. Impressive. I was worried that James had turned them both against Scorpius but...

"YOU read that article? Nobody our age with the exception of Albus and I even know that journal exists! I tried to explain it to Lou but even he with all his natural talent hadn't the slightest idea what I was talking about!" Rosie broke in, obviously excited at the prospect of someone to talk to.

"We were just about to play wizards chess Rosie. Why don't you and Scor play each other?" I offered optimistically. I was leaning over curiously as the match began while Louis merely pulled out a fashion magazine (That actually had Domi and Vic on the cover) and lay lazily down with his head in my lap.

"Hey al? Do I really look like Vicki?" Lou asked quietly up at me. I nodded downwards with a smile.

"Louis may be an adorable half Delacour like his gorgeous sisters but never underestimate him." I offered to Scor while stroking Lou's hair. "He's more intelligent than both Victoire and Dominique combined and nearly twice as dangerous because he's too lazy to display his prowess regularly." I added. Louis merely smirked and closed his magazine staring intently at the match unfolding.

"Rosie he's forgetting how spectacular my hair is." Louis added with a fake pout and a smile that clearly was designed to irk Rose about her frizzled mess of a head. Someone had obviously performed a prank spell on her as she'd gotten on the train. There was no other possible explanation. "Your wrong on one account Al, no one is more dangerous than Weasley women." Louis continued shuddering at the glare that Rosie had given him.

I was simply amazed at how well the four of us were getting along. That was until Scor and Rose stopped talking and Lou and I realized to our horror that Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy was actually pushing Rosie back. Louis can beat anyone in our family at wizards chess except for Myself, Rose and her Father. Aunt Hermione with all her genius never mastered the subtlety of the game, which is what makes my uncle Ron's freak skill all the more perplexing. I'm the only one that can beat Rose and her Father. Yet here was Scor decisively forcing…

"Al… Al… do you see what I'm seeing" Louis asked, interrupting my chain of thought with hushed whispers and some not so inconspicuous sleeve tugging.  
Scor… please oh please let her win… I prayed silently to myself. Please don't...

"Check-mate" called Scorpius gleefully. "Great game Rose, I haven't played like that in ages… we should do that again sometime."

"Rose?" I asked carefully, watching as shadows consumed her frozen eyes. She looked at me, then at Scor and finally did the unthinkable.

"Why don't the two of you play?" She countered with a terrifyingly Lily like smirk.

SPOV

I had obviously missed much of the family based unspoken communication that was being tossed around with goodnatured humor, yet I found I didn't mind at all. I was having real fun with these two. They seemed to trust Al who appeared so at ease around me that they couldn't help but be genuinely kind and warm.

"Sure why not?" I asked resetting the board automatically much to my regret. Al noticed immediately that I hadn't used a wand. "I… erm..."  
I stammered as Rosie and Louis had both clearly noticed what i'd done.

"Hey don't you guys just love my new chess set? Normally you have to reset the board with a spell, but aunt Hermione taught me how to enchant the thing so that it does it automatically. Just like one of those fancy ones in the antique shops." Al chimed in. Wordless and wandless magic is a rare gift especially for an eleven year old. Rosie looked skeptically at Al who just smiled. Then suddenly the tension eased.

"Damn Al, why does mom have to teach you all the cool spells. We're not even at school yet and already you know more than most second years." Rose whined seeming to believe Al's lie. I was thankful yet surprised how quickly Al had come up with that story… It was almost as if he'd been put in a position like that before.

"So Scor, think you can beat me?" Al asked smugly, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Challenge accepted." I countered.

Neither of us realized how much of the train ride we spent in heated combat. Nobody had ever challenged me like this. I had been kind to Rose when we played making several mistakes on purpose, but this… I couldn't afford any mistakes.

"Its over" Al said as he placed his piece.

"What?" queried Lou. "but its Scors turn and he's not in check… oh…" Louis finished with disbelief.

"Stalemate" Al shot resignedly. I couldn't believe it, I thought Al was going for the win in four moves which I would have countered and instead he had forced me into a stalemate.

"NO WAY!" Shrieked Rosie a little too loudly for someone not in serious pain.

"Rose … are you turning into grandma Mols with the volume control issues." Al asked wincing.

"Albus has never lost a game"… Rose spat bewildered.

"But its a draw Rosie." corrected Lou who was also a little surprised. Rose shook her head staring at me as though I were an alien.

"Lou, the only time Al has ever tied with anyone was his first game, that time my Dad taught him the rules. Al was 8 and he only tied then because dad forgot to explain what a stalemate was." She added quietly.

"No…" I whispered equally as quietly. "He knew I thought he was going for the pincer in the next four moves. If he wanted to he could have mislead me and won in five." I looked solemnly up to Al, watching as the brunet grinned.

"You overestimate me Scor. I saw no other options so I figured a draw was better than a loss. Amazing game. I've never played anyone like that. Ever… " Al finished more seriously, but still smiling.

APOV

At that moment my idiot brother decided to burst in.

"I heard Rosie scream! What did you do to her you treacherous snake." James shouted, wand pointed directly at Scor's face.

"Calm down you big oaf!" I yelled, jumping up to stand between my brother and the boy who was quickly becoming my best friend.

"James…" Rosie started with an exasperated sigh. "I screamed not because of Malfoy but because Albus lost. At Wizards chess." Rose finished darkly. As though the latter were a bigger sin.

"Oh." started James as he lowered his wand. "Sorry… Wait you what?" He barked loudly.

"I didn't lose Rose. It was a tie." 

"Al… I know you and a draw is still a loss when it's you playing." Rose corrected, still slightly bewildered by what had happened.

"Well it was a good match either way and Scor must be an absolute genius to have cornered me like that." I finished proudly. Something about my praise caught dangerously in James's eye. Something dark in the way he renewed his contemplation of Scorpius. I almost laughed at how easy he was to read sometimes. "James... I still forced a tie. Which means there is no chance of a real life evil Malfoy plot to trick me into …" I started humorously predicting his thoughts most likely as fast he he was having them.

"For Fuck's sake Al, stop reading my mind all the time! Its eerie how you do that. You can be such a Freak sometimes!" James spat angrily. "You're not even really my brother, you would rather hang out with this traitor than with me and your family. Rose, Louis, come on, both Teddy and Vicky said its time for you to change into your robes. Leave the snake here with his freaky sideshow." James ordered sternly before moving to leave. I hate that word! I hate that word! James knows better than to call me that! I couldn't take it. It sent waves of guilt and shame rippling through me whenever i'd hear it. Why did he have call me that! I'm not a freak! They were accidents! I hadn't meant it! Not the fire, not the snake, not the wave, not the sun. None of it had been on purpose. So why would he call me that!

I don't know what compelled Scor to get as angry as me, but I was shocked that he had come to my defense.

"He's not a Freak! I don't care who you think you are James Potter. Just because you can't appreciate how smart he is or even that Al is kind enough to ignore what my father did in the past, doesn't mean you can treat him like that." Scor started, trying to defend me. The problem was I couldn't handle this right now. I couldn't deal with the yelling or that word. It sent shivers down my spine to contemplate the shouting.

"Listen you disgusting Malfoy scum, he's my brother and I'll call him whatever I like. You should learn not to interfere in other peoples business."

"STOP!" I shot loudly, unable to control myself. "Scor… I appreciate what you're trying to do... but let me handle this." I offered more quietly this time. "James may be a pompous ponderous prat but I have to deal with family on my own... ok? I don't want to involve you in my personal dra..." I stopped mid sentence when i noticed the expressions on everyone's faces.  
James and my Cousins were staring wide-eyed at something behind me. I turned and realized to my horror that sometime during the yelling I had frozen the windows solid which were at this point beginning to crack loudly in response to my anger.

SPOV

The entirety of Al's composed control vanished with the yelling. I realized by the end of the episode that he was really scared by what he had done. He could outperform even me wandlessly, I could simply tell.

The problem is that when you become too good at that kind of magic when you're as young as we are, it becomes easier to do something dangerous by accident. A nightmare could burn down a house. A house elf apparating behind you could cause you to blow up a tree. Or a boy hurting your sister could cause you to light someone on fire...

Albus wasn't ok with what happened, nor was he ok with the looks he was getting from his family. Clearly this had happened before and had only served to alienate the boy from his loved ones. I closed my eyes and pushed back at the cold with probingly precise intent. The cracks began repairing themselves slowly until the glass was a seamless single pane once more.

"See, no harm done Al?" I whispered softly in his ear so that only he could hear.

"That is remarkably nice control Al. I didn't know you had such a practical knowledge of 'Rosier-Victus' frost theory. Or that you could fix windows like that. I would love to be able to quiet a conversation down so cooly. I would murder to see you do that to my grandfather. If not empty my vault just to see the look on his face." I added with a smile. Rose knew what I was trying to do and spoke first to distract her cousins. She knew he was suffering.

"Hey Al… you should… um change into your robes. I'm going to find Roxy and Lucy ok? You can run that spell by me later in the common room, yeah?" She asked reluctantly, pulling a deflated James with her as she left. He looked back towards the compartment, frightened and angry for sure, but most of all sad. I don't think he even really registered what had happened. "Jeez Al… next time just tell me off, no need to do that." James finished as he walked slowly away.

Louis gave Al a kiss on his brow and added in french "Ne t'inquiètes pas chéri" (don't worry) adding quietly "that really was nice control Al. Its just that James might not have gotten that you meant to… I mean he can be a prat sometimes… but just… there was no need to scare him…" He paused softly at that before giving me a look. "Well I'll see you at the sorting ok? It was nice to meet you Scorpius" he finished before turning to depart. Louis merely closed the door slowly behind him, leaving us alone in the compartment.

"I… didn't mean to…" I started as tears began to slip down Al's cheeks. He even cried differently than an eleven year old. No whimpering or hiccuping sobs, just sadness and soft quiet… leaking. I imagined that with practice no one would even notice it. I stopped being able to cry a long time ago. Its easier not to feel all the hate if you feel nothing at all.

"I am really sorry… I shouldn't have intervened. It wasn't my place to get in between you and your brother." I offered hesitantly.

"Thank you sooo much…" Al whispered, wiping away the water and moving to hug me. I never know how to feel when someone touches me. Even father and Grandmother don't really hold me anymore. I did remember Al's hand though... pulling me out of the fountain with that strange pink glow. It made me want to hold him back. Instead of merely patting Al awkwardly the way I'd seen father console someone at a funeral, i actually returned his embrace. We weren't a very touchy lot to begin with but something had compelled me to.

"Why are you thanking me? I… acted terribly."

"For defending me… For the windows. For making them think that it wasn't an accident, that I wasn't trying to… Hurt them." Al finished somberly.

"I was worried that they would misunderstand. I would hate for them to think you were trying to scare them, but I figured it was better than them thinking you were trying to hurt them." I offered rationally, watching his frightening green eyes as he pulled away from me. 

APOV

I stared at the blond whose mind could so easily see what I saw. Whose eyes could peer right through you. I had never imagined that a Malfoy would have come to my defense. He was kind for saying what he had. I wiped away the tears in my eyes then, considering how deftly he'd manipulated the scene.

"You are really weird." I offered smiling, still sniffling slightly.

"So are you." he offered back returning my smile and sitting down in the seat across from me. There was something about the smile he had on that said he was still thinking about chess.

"I totally could have beaten you in five" I finished, correcting him out loud. Scorpius grinned even wider, flicking a boggy flavored bean at me and shaking his head: "Mais n'importe quoi." (What utter nonsense). I beamed that we had another language in common to discuss our secrets. We were so busy flinging sweets and laughing like maniacs that we barely noticed that the train was slowing down. When the metallic screech of the brakes alerted us to our arrival, we changed into our robes like madmen and collected our luggage as fast as we could, praying not to be left behind. I stopped him in the corridor then, thinking of what to say. He had such a curious expression on his face

"Scor… I don't think Slytherin would be so bad… if you were there with me…" I offered, completely unsure of how much I trusted what I had just said.

"You would absolutely hate it, liar. We'll just have to dazzle that musty old sock with our amazing chess skills and hope for Ravenclaw." Scor finished knowingly. I didn't really care where the hat put me… as long as he put scor there too.

"Scorpius, you might not want to call the mind-reading hat that when its on your head. That 'musty old sock' will determine our fate for the next seven years. So don’t be rude to it Twit." I added playfully.

"Do you think an enchanted hat would take a bribe? Or respond to threats the same way a human would?" the blond asked seriously, obviously thinking of ways to influence the sorting. “I could just threaten to throw it into a fireplace if it doesn’t put us with the ravens.”

"Crap. There's no way you aren't a Slytherin." I offered laughing as we descended the steps onto solid ground.

Our first year at Hogwarts! Whatever happens… there won’t ever be anything like it.


	4. The Strangest Sorting

SPOV

"Firs' years foll'er me!" Cried the tallest man I'd ever seen. The half-giant, which was the only thing he could have been, stopped the moment he noticed the brunet next to me.

"Goodness' Al, yer' lookin' more like yer' dad every time I see yer'" the man boomed warmly, pulling Al into a fierce hug that might have crushed the young wizard.

"Its great to see you uncle Hagrid, I mean professor, sir."

"Oh hogwash, non O that, I knew yer since you wer a wee lad this small."

"HAGRID!" Al shot embarrassed, examining the crowd of first years that had taken notice.

"O alrigh lil one, we can leav er at that and if…" The man named Hagrid paused for a moment, eyeing me and my proximity to his honorary nephew.

"Al, if this here boy is causin' yer trouble, just send im straight to me."

"No! Um… Uncle Hagrid, this is um… Scorpius… Malfoy… he's a really good friend actually." Al corrected, flushing slightly in the moonlight. Which made me blush slightly too. Malfoy's are unusually pale so any amount of redness shows extraordinarily brightly. I'd imagine blushing to be considered a sign of weakness so my mind started to wander at the possibility of obliviating anyone stupid enough to have noticed it. Suddenly all thoughts and higher brain function shut down when the creature shifted to examine me.

The man was without a doubt the largest person I had ever seen. To have him bend down to raise an enormous eyebrow at me was beyond unsettling… I imagine this is how father felt at school when all the money or threats in the world wouldn't stop someone this imposing from merely squashing you.

"That so'? Huh… a Malfoy and a Potter… y'er sure y'er feelin all'ri Al?" The professor asked with a questioning look.

"Animals, really a giant softie." Al whispered discreetly in my ear. What? I was about to ask what he’d meant, too distracted by the thought of witnesses and enormous creatures to grasp his meaning. Oh…

"Its nice to meet you professor. Al was talking for most of the train ride about how excited he is to take 'Care of Magical Creatures' with you. I am fascinated by the properties of wand cores, but I hate the thought of hurting animals to get those cores. I’d much prefer the thought of working with live ones, sir." I finished, excitedly trying to hide the smugness as Al gripped my arm to alert me of my success. He was fighting a desperate urge to smirk.

"Well young Mal— Scorpius wer' it? I'm righ serpised at tha I am . I'm so gla Al here is excited to…."

"Hagrid… to the boats please… you’re causing a delay." Another professor noted dryly, motioning to the blockage he’d created on the platform.

APOV

Scorpius was soo smart. I had never met someone who could keep up with me like this. Sure Rosie and aunt Hermione were… smart. Maybe even geniuses. Sometimes faster in terms of raw processing speed. But nobody got people or magic itself like I did. I just… understood. Although sometimes I underestimate how frightening the perception itself can feel. I watched Scorpius and he was a natural. Then there was the way he handled the window. He was able to feel his way through the spellwork, just like me. Maybe Hogwarts wasn't going to be so bad after all…

"Whoa…" Every student in earshot spoke together as the sight of the castle proper came into view. Scorpius and I managed to snag the boat with Hagrid which meant there wasn't any room for new faces. Although large groups tend to scare me, I really love people and even though kids my age don't always understand me, I get to forget sometimes whats its like to carry around so much weight. At the moment I was just thankful I didn't have to deal with Scorpius getting trouble from anyone else.  
As we got out of the boat I waved to all my family friends and extended relatives without actually getting into conversation with them. I didn't want to leave Scorpius's side. I had already seen that he was more than capable of dealing with people but I somehow didn't want to have to explain or justify my friendship to…

"My, Albus dear, how you've grown." my favorite honorary relative whispered from behind me.

"Aunt Mini!"

I was so excited that I couldn’t help but spin around to hug the headmistress tightly.

"Not that its not good to see you, but what are you doing down here by the docks you old bat? You are the Headmistress right? Doesn't the assistant headmaster escort the students in? I would have thought that my favorite aunt in the world was all warm and nestled in by the fire." I teased mockingly but with my brightest smile. Most of the students were shocked at my familiarity with the headmistress. Minerva Mcgonagall was rumored for being outrageously strict.

"Al… I'm not dead yet. This old bat was it?" she offered, eyeing me skeptically as though daring me to test her again. "Still has enough in her to box your ears if you cause even one tenth the trouble your grandfather, father or brother have caused." Despite her remarks, she also wore a warm smile on her face.

"Aunt… Er'm Headmistress, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine. Um… this would be Scorpius Malfoy." I offered cautiously nudging Scorpius forward.

"Is it really?" Minerva mused to herself. "Its nice to meet you Scorpius…" She added. After a considered pause she continued: "You know I knew both of your fathers… and I've quite honestly dreaded the damage I feared might result in a rekindled rivalry between the two of their sons… but now that I think about it… I am entirely more terrified by the prospect of you two actually being friends" She added smiling with a weary sigh.

"Promise we won't be too much trouble for you… old bat." I offered whispering the last part so that only the three of us could hear.

"Careful Albus…" She started louder. "When your father went to school here I knew him as a student… and although I saw him as baby you I've actually watched grow up from birth… not only do I have amazing photos of you running around stark naked… but I've actually grown quite fond of all your uncle George's contraband that I've confiscated over the years… I might just decide to use some of my wares on my favorite nephew. Besides whereas hexing students is entirely against school policy… There is nothing mentioned in the bylaws about hexing family." She laughed maniacally. Which caused all the students to laugh and oooh.  
I absolutely love Minerva McGonagall. She never talks to anyone as familiarly as me. I don't know what it is about me that lets her loosen up, but whatever it is Dad says she never laughs the way she does when I’m not around. He told me she was stiff and formal during his school days and more so now. But nothing she ever did or said to me ever led me to believe that could be true. To me she was merely aunt Minerva, who’d visit during Samhain and bring me presents at Christmas.

SPOV

Hold on… did Al just hug the headmistress of Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry? Did he just call one of the most formidable witches of our time an old bat? And did she just threaten baby photos, and magical retaliation?

"Rosie, Louis, Lucy good to see you all…oh um hello Fred." The headmistress added skeptically, as if to contemplate asking the boy to empty his pockets.

"Has everyone gotten off the boats? Yes? Would everyone then please follow me." She instructed, pulling herself up to her full height and schooling her expression back into that of a stern professor’s.

"Old bat... really? Al… you are amazing…" I whispered as we walked up towards the castle entrance.

"I try."

He smiled cheekily, knocking a playful shoulder into me as we climbed the long steps from the boathouse. Al's natural good humor vanished the second we stepped into the great hall. I didn't  
mind that he had grabbed my arm, although I doubt he was even aware of the movement.

I however had been acutely aware of the motion. Something about the physical contact made my thoughts blur fuzzily. It began as a warm sensation at first but twisted and warped into frost and shadow and sadness the longer we touched. I wanted him to let go, but merely let his hand linger. If it would give him the courage to face our next trial, I could bear the discomfort and allow him that much at least.

APOV

I couldn't concentrate. I knew that my brother James, and my cousins, And my god brother Teddy were all laughing at the Gryffindor table. I knew that they all had a place and a home in their house, which of course made me terrified of what was about to come. Why did it have to be this way. 

SPOV

Albus looked like he had swallowed a turd flavored jelly bean. That or he had been made to listen to a particularly whiney mandrake infant without the buffer of his protective earmuffs. I was vaguely aware that his grip on my arm had tightened as students were called up to be sorted. The more names that passed by the more Al seemed to increase the pressure on his vice grip. He was actually starting to cause waves of pain to shoot up my arm each time. I tried to give him a reassuring smile but I was too nervous myself and all I solicited in response from Al was an even greener shade of skin tone.

APOV

I was petrified, barely even aware of what was happening. Even though James was a royal prat I loved him and the rest of my family. I couldn't bear the thought that they might hate or be disappointed in me any more than they were already.

I heard names being called but I couldn't make out whose they were. It was like an unending haze of mirky fog until the words "Scorpius Malfoy!" the beak nosed professor in charge of the sorting had called loudly.

The whole hall quieted to dull whispers and hushed snickers when they’d heard who’d been summoned. I squeezed Scorpius's arm reassuringly and gave him a gentle nudge forward towards the stool, an action I'm sure that could not have gone unnoticed by most of the crowd watching. The professor placed the sorting hat on the now seated Scorpius and total silence engulfed the great hall. Minutes went by and the hat said nothing. It was the most harrowing experience of my life.

SPOV

_"Interesting… FASCINATING…" drawled the ancient tattered rag directly into my head. "Cunning, more than even your father or his father or his, or even the famed Brutus Malfoy who sat right here over three hundred years ago… but there is bravery too I sense… and kindness. I sense real courage for one so young…. And true Loyalty… but more than anything I sense intelligence. You would do very well in Ravenclaw. But whats this." The hat paused. "You have a rather strange piece of magic linking you to… Albus Potter." barked the glorified dishrag in its whimsical smug tone… what did it just say? "I cannot separate the two of you… I can't seem to decide where you belong." The hat paused slightly for the second time._  
_"What do you mean, you can't decide? Isn't that your singular and sole purpose you overworn piece of musty moth eaten..." I started rudely, agitated by his indecision._  
_"—now don't get cheeky with me miniature Malfoy. What this means is…"_

APOV

Suddenly Scorpius's robes changed purple and a Hogwarts crest appeared instead of the traditional house crest. Confused, everyone sat in silent bewilderment waiting for the hat to speak.

"Mmm this is very interesting… very interesting indeed." the hat had mused aloud to the room. "There is strange magic surrounding this child. Headmistress I simply cannot sort Scorpius until I have had time to examine the younger Potter boy." the Hat stated simply as though he hadn't just defied a thousand years of wizarding tradition or very publicly mentioned the respective sons of Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy in the same sentence.

The whole hall began humming as people turned to their neighbors to guess and gossip over what could possibly have been meant by the mention of my name. The beak nosed professor looked expectantly at aunt Minerva who nodded silently in response, gesturing for me to approach the stool. I had no idea what was happening. Never had anything like this occurred before. It was all I could manage to mechanically approach the seated blond.

I came closer to Scorpius who gave me a worried questioning look. The professor simply placed the sorting hat on my head. That's when I heard it. A deep rolling voice projected directly into my brain. It was creepier than my Dad had described. I wondered if this wasn't what Jamie feels when I seem to always know what he's thinking, I managed before the hat interrupted my chain of thought.

_"Interesting… very interesting indeed. The same magic… You two are bound together strangely young potter. Your parents shared a similar yet different sort of bond. They were destined to be adversaries in their youth and yet you…" The hat seemed to pause at this._

_"Yet we what?" I inquired apprehensively. The hat simply ignored me and continued its musings._

_"I see courage oh yes no doubt… and extraordinary loyalty, to family, and friends." The hat added after a pause. "But what a Fine Fine Brain! Curiosity! Intelligence! Ingenuity! You're even smarter than your aunt young potter… or even your namesake…" The hat paused again. "Albus Dumbledore was truly an extraordinary wizard, to be of equal or finer metal is a rare gift. Yet I sense cunning, and a drop of something... Something that I sensed even in your Father… something dark… something I sensed in Tom... in Him..." at this the hat paused longest, contemplating things beyond my understanding. "I cannot separate one from the other young potter… I can sense this choice will upset you but you BOTH belong in…."_

And with that my robes and Scorpius's changed to a brilliant emerald with the silver and green coiling serpent of " **Slytherin!** " emblazoned on our respective breasts. An enormous gasp erupted from the entire student body. Even the teachers seemed shocked. I stood motionless and confused. Never had this happened in the history of Hogwarts sorting. Nobody had ever been sorted as a pair. How could I… be a Slytherin.


	5. A Night with Serpents

APOV

My gaze fell on James as his eyes followed me ominously across the room. When shame finally forced me to look away I decided to chance a glance at Scorpius, who looked just as equally confused by this whole mess as I was. The slow journey towards the Slytherin table felt like an eternity. My legs moved as though through marshland, the wet soggy mud pulling me deeper down into darkness. We finally reached the far end of the bench and sat together, away from the other members of our house. Nobody had clapped.

After a pause the sorting hat had coughed loudly to get on with it which at least got the beak nosed professor to resume calling names. The silence had been too much for me to bear.

Suddenly I felt a hand slip into mine and a whisper "Im so sorry… that potion must have changed us more than we knew… we can... we can speak to the headmistress later… I know you really didn't want to end up here. Maybe she can switch you to a different house." Scorpius offered reluctantly into my ear. I was barely aware that my hand had closed around his and that I was nodding mechanically.

I ate nothing and was filled with the weight that was a thousand eyes boring into me. ' _Freak!' 'Monster!'_ they all seamed to shout. After dinner we were led to our dorms where Scorpius and I slipped quickly from the common room to discover apprehensively that our belongings were placed at the foot of neighboring beds. Luckily they were relatively separated from those of our peers by the natural curve in the rooms design. We would at least have some small measure of privacy.

SPOV

I didn't mind ending up where I had already expected to be. I was more pissed by the fact that that foul smelling hat had dared to saddle Albus with the pain that would be seven years in a house that wasn't likely to ever accept him. The majority of Slytherin consisted of children whose parents had all either been imprisoned or killed by Albus's father or immediate family. This was going to be rough...

APOV

Scorpius sat down lazily on my bed with a sigh and was about to say something when a ghoulish brown haired boy trudged up to us.

"Not now Nott" Scorpius spat distastefully.

"WEll. If it isn't the treacherous little Malfoy. Hows your grandfather? Still a sniveling worm?" the boy looked too unevolved for speech I thought somberly as I sensed the beginning of an unpleasantness that I had not the energy for.

"And whats with your little shadow? A Potter in Slytherin! What a joke! You—" The boy spat as he jabbed me in the chest. "—disgusting halfblood freak belong with the rest of the filth over with the kittens in Gr..." but the boy never had a chance to finish. Scorpius had nocked over the trollish brunet with a wordless flourish of his wand and was already kneeling over the crumpled figure, wand tip held to the poor boys throat.

"Call him that again..." Scorpius started calmly, eyes flashing dangerously as cold as their winter blue. "...in fact... so much as look at him wrong again and I wont leave you in a fit state to breathe let alone to spew obscenity. Do we understand each other Nott?" Scorpius hissed venomously pressing his wand harder into the pink flesh beneath the boys chin.

"Yess! Yes! Merlin I didn't really..." The boy squealed. He’d sounded like a stuck pig.

"Scor! Stop! Its not worth it. He was just trying to rile me up, he didn't mean—"

"—I know perfectly well what this filth meant and I wont ever allow anyone…" Scor began, stopping when he saw the look in my eyes. "I… I'm sorry... I don't know what came over me." He stuttered lowering his wand. I was actually really grateful for the level of devotion Scor had shown me, even if I hated confrontations above all else. No one outside the family had ever stood up for me like that.

"Scary Scorpius, are you sure that kind of loyalty doesn't belong in Hufflepuff, my old friend." an older boy commented, approaching parallel the fleeing Nott. The sound of the voice was familiar, yet was so frigid I'm certain I would have remembered it. It rang like power and clear articulated malice. I felt a chill creep down my spine as I watched him. There was something wrong with it, although I couldn’t have said what.

"I thought you were too smart to risk attending Hogwarts." Scorpius offered, turning around slowly at the sound of the voice. He immediately repositioned himself in front of me like a shield.

"Goyle's here too, and so is your adorable Aurora Parkinson. We were friends once despite the position your grandfather put us all in… to be raised as strangers in parentless homes. To have your treacherous father dispense charity to us as if we were mere commoners." the boy added, his resentment clear as crystal.

"Why did you come? Marvolo... Lestrange." What? Thats… not… possible.

"How can you be a Lestrange when they were all ki..." I started before Scorpius turned to silence me with a glare that might have petrified a werewolf.

"I saw that little display of weirdness during the sorting. Scorpius, will your father be pleased to learn of your unusual connection to the miniature Potter? Well don't worry, it doesn't concern me. I resent poverty and the loss of the distinction that once was the sacred twenty-eight, but I'm not stupid enough to start trouble. Not yet. There isn't a reason to fight the tide nor would there be anyone left to fight alongside. I honestly wanted to tell both of you that Goyle, Aurora and I wouldn't mind being friends again." The boy finished with an exaggerated shrug. He was calculating his movements and words with extreme precision. I could tell he was after something.

"Those two I wouldn't mind. You are another story." Scorpius spat back. I looked shyly at the back of Scor’s head, watching the way his arm had subconsciously moved to keep me back where it was safe. I peeked around the blond to examine this strange boy who’d so unnerved my new friend. That was when it hit me.

"I know you…" 

I realized that it was my voice that had spoken. It felt oddly as though this creature and I had met somewhere… although I know I would remember someone as clearly malign as this. Everything about him screamed danger, although he seemed resigned somehow. As though he knew his nature would bring him nothing but pain. Scorpius turned to look at me then. There was an odd sense of confusion and curiosity in his eyes.

"I'm quite certain I would have remembered you. Your mother the beautiful quidditch player, your father the dashing Hero auror. You, apparently have inherited much from your parents and more. You are obviously going to be as adorable as your Delacour cousins. Strangely I hear you're as smart as your Muggle-born aunt. Rumor has it your even as powerful as your namesake. What other hidden talents does our boy wonder possess?" Marvolo asked curiously as he approached.

"Back off Ridd— "

"—NO DOUBT, cunning Scorpius will have found some way to use you to his advantage." the boy interrupted quickly, flashing Scorpius eyes that screamed murder. What had he been about to say?

"I'll leave it there, but so should you" Scorpius began dangerously. "I'm really just protecting you from his family you know. You have no idea how much I'm not in the mood Volo. I can't afford to be caught fighting on my first day." 

It had been a calculated response.

"Wait… I do know you from somewhere." The boy whispered quietly, genuinely surprised. "why do I know you?" he asked confused, staring for several moments before Scorpius cut me off from him entirely. The curiosity in his expression left me shivering. "Well good night Young Potter, Duke Malfoy".

Two younger less hostile students came over and greeted Scorpius when they saw their creepy housemate retreating.

"Hello Matheus. Aurora… so glad your respecting the fact that this happens to be the boys dormitory. As much as I would love to catch up..." Scor started in a tone that said he really would rather do hard manual labor. "Its been a long day and I'm not sure I feel like doing this now." Scorpius had virtually ignored the two first years, instead keeping his gaze unblinkingly on Marvolo rather than looking at the two who had actually addressed him.

"We… um… we just wanted to thank your Dad for managing the estates while our family is in… well you know."

"Sentimentality is not welcome in Slytherin." the girl interrupted with feigned seriousness. "So don't let anyone aside from us hear it." She wore such an adorably devious smile that I couldn’t help but like her immediately. "Besides Scorpius, you know I tend to go wherever I please. Would you care to try and stop me?"

"Not particularly. I don’t ever have enough energy for that."

"Good. Then for now I offer you both a Goodnight." with that she leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Scors cheek before dragging Matheus back in the direction of the common room. Scor looked more annoyed by the gesture than anything. He merely rubbed his cheek clean before sighing loudly. What a day this had been.

SPOV

"Scorpius, I wanted to thank you for everything." Al started wearily after he was sure nobody else would interrupt. "Like you said, its been a long day and I just want to get some sleep before more trouble presents itself." He looked so sad and defeated that for a moment I felt sorry for him.

"Ok Al, I just wanted to thank you too. I had a lot of fun on the train." I really meant it. "I hope you don't have too much trouble sleeping". 

There had been something off in the brunet’s expression that told me he’d but up worrying half the night. Al gave me another weary smile and climbed into his bed, merely shutting the curtains with a “Good night”. 

Sometimes Al was a genius and other times he seemed distant and detached, and others still he seemed the eleven year old he really was. He's like me. Trapped. Time for an early night too I decided.

I woke up at around two in the morning to the sounds of soft sobs. I could have sworn he was more composed than that… I thought to myself sleepily, looking over in the direction of Al's bed. I rubbed my eye absently for minute, yawning in the dark. I don't know what possessed me to do what I did next, but something deep inside had compelled my body into motion. I swung my legs over the mattress, descending quietly to the floor in a single graceful motion. I sighed when I reached him, not knowing what to expect when drawing back the curtains. For a moment my eyes deceived me. I stood staring at the empty space until finally I realized what had happened. Reaching for the fabric, I pulled off the cloak to reveal an unruly haired eleven year old clutching his Lion plush and sobbing quietly. This can’t be happenIng. I rolled my eyes at the sight. Why me of all people?

"Move over." I ordered, climbing next to the leaking mess that was fast becoming my best friend.

"Scor, what are you… sniff… doing?" 

"Shut up." I snapped, wrapping my arm around him. "We will talk to the old bat in the morning and get this mess sorted. Besides… this is what I imagined normal people do to comfort each other so I thought I'd give it a try." I joked dryly as Al chuckled through the tears.

"Thanks Scor." came the whisper, his fingers closing over mine. I sealed the curtains so none of the snakes could use the photos as leverage for the ruin of our families, then settled my head on the pillow.

"A Gryffindor Lion… seriously Al? Was that James's idea of teasing or Louis’s idea of being terribly… Louis?" The sarcasm in my voice left no room for misinterpretation.

"In the morning i'm burning it and we will never speak of this again." Al pouted embarrassed. I smiled to myself. That sounded more like a Slytherin.

"Dors bien mauvais perdant" He added softly (sleep well sore loser).

"Mais n'importe quoi" (Utter nonsense.)

The last thing I remember before drifting off was the smell of toffee, the eerie sound of some monstrous creature in the lake and the warmth of Al's Hand… If seven years of this didn't kill me… I'm certain Father would if he ever found out I'd shared a bed with a Potter. 

 


	6. Good Morning

SPOV

"Well there's an interesting sight." A voice muttered, parting the curtains and jumping up onto the bed.

"Who… wha?" Al squawked jolting up from a dead sleep and ripping entirely out of my arms.

"Aurora… go away… you are always up much too early to be healthy." I stole Al’s pillow at that, putting it over my head to shield me from her craziness. "Besides how did you undo the charms on the curtains?" I mumbled from beneath my cushion.

"Bugger that. Why is she back in the boys dorms?" 

"Silly Scor, you use the same charms to keep me out of your room at the Manor. I learned a long time ago how to undo them. Oh and Al I went to sleep in the vacant bed next to Scor's so technically I'm not back but have been here all along. I thought it was too good a chance to pass up." She sang in a tone of voice that suggested she was smiling her infernally devious smile. "And shouldn't you be more worried that I might tell your father about this little… indiscretion? With a Potter no less." 

"Don't bluff rori, it's considered bad form for a Slytherin to threaten anything they can't deliver on. Telling Father would result in my unpleasant death and we both know that would ruin your plans for me."

Suddenly I felt something burrowing beneath the pillows and opened my eyes to Al's smiling face. "Why don't you come out of there so we can understand what you're actually saying. Your hissings from this little snake pit are incomprehensible." He added smiling warmly. "Besides what if she decides to join us in here?"

"I'm up! I'm up!" I cried shooting from beneath the mound of pillows and sheets like a missile launching from it's silo.

"Aurora, I was going to invite Scor to eat with me at the Gryffindor table, would you and Matheus like to join as well?" Al asked in his good natured and warm way about him. I found it funny that one good nights sleep was enough to put him in a cheerful mood when he had been so sad last night. Something tells me him and Louis are always snuggling under a mound of pillows and blankets, and from what he mentioned of his little sister I bet she joins them too. I wonder what siblings and cousins would have been like to grow up with…

"Sorry Al, Matti and I might just wait awhile before attempting something that dangerous." She offered smiling. "But I will remember that you invited me."

Aurora can play vicious and she has even been known to hatch a clever scheme on more than one occasion, but actually she can be quite sweet.

"Its really not a problem Rori. Next time then."

Something to mention about Aurora is that she also never forgets anything. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Aurora kept a mental record of every kindness or slight ever done to her with designs to return each ten fold in turn to those who had delivered them. Rori had seen how familiarly I treated Al and would honestly remember that he had thought to invite her himself. Something told me Al and Rori would be getting along quite well.

"Rori when you have a minute I'd like to talk to you about Volo, Ok?" I asked seriously, getting out of bed to stretch. I hoped Al hadn't already noticed how tense the topic made me. 

"Well as long as tonight I get to join one or both of you."

"Deal!" Al squeaked, giddy as could be. I smirked at that.

"Allllllll. You can't just agree to things for me."

"Sure he can, that is what best friends do." Rori said calculatingly, rising from the bed as well. "So stop whining Scor."

"See how she set that up. Just you watch… she'll worm her way in and start making decisions for us before the week's out!" I started before turning to catch her in a hug from behind. "I'm teasing you you know." 

I simply laughed, pulling us both back down onto the bed.

"Aurora and I were childhood friends before she moved away for political reasons. She always had the craziest ideas. She's been planning our wedding since she was old enough to understand the concept." I offered to Al playing with some of Rori's hair.

"Come on you two, we'll miss breakfast. I'm going to go body slam Maddy to wake him up. I'll see you both for potions first period right?" Rori asked getting back up and throwing a pillow at my head.

"What are you looking at troll! Never seen a girl before? Well I'd guess not. With a face like that I'm sure you scare them all away." she spat at a third year boy she'd caught staring at her. He must have been in Volo's year but she hadn't thought twice about yelling at him. He looked smugly content at Rori's vigor.

"You can always join me here instead if the kiddies get boring." he offered patting the bed to her as she passed. 

Oh no that was a very bad idea. Aurora is as beautiful as her name and can seem as sweat as caramel, but really she is as deadly as ….

"OWWWWW" the boy screamed as a stinging hex impacted his face.

"BYE GUYS!" she called walking to the far side of the dorm where Matheus must have been sleeping. She hadn't given her victim so much as a backwards glance.

"I have a feeling she's going to be a lot of fun."Al offered with an idiotic grin. I wanted to hit him for his naivety.

"You have no idea what you're talking about." Take back surviving seven years of rescuing Al from the rest of Slytherin, try surviving seven years of Rori, who would only get worse as she got older. Maybe I should just send Father the letter about sharing a bed with a Potter, maybe he'd end the suffering early.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~)◊(~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

APOV

Since I had barely paid attention to the sorting after our unfortunate incident, I was pleased to learn at breakfast that the rest of the event had gone by normally. I learned later from Teddy that, Rosie had been put in Ravenclaw and Louis, Lucy, and Fred had all made Gryffindor. This would be the last packet of Weasleys to come to Hogwarts before Lils, Hugo and Roxy brought up the rear next year. That was of course unless my aunts or uncles had spawned any more cousins for me. Weasleys were known to do that on more than one occasion.

"Here Here! To my god-brother and cousin both green bellied snakes!" Shouted Teddy raising his glass as we apprehensively sat down across from Rose who was also eating at the Gryffindor table.

"Teddy you're a little too loud." Vicky complained. She was looking prettier than ever. Victoire was absolutely beyond natural. I can never seem to concentrate when she talks to me. I would have guessed it was her Veela magic but Domi doesn't have the same effect on me.

"Congratulations may not be in order, but you let me know if I need to hex anyone's faces off for giving you trouble K?" Dominique pitched in.

Well, she would be more likely to socially destroy someone before she considered pulling her wand out, but I thought better of commenting.

"I hope you don't make a habit of bringing  _him_." James spat, thumbing rudely at Scor as though he weren't even there.

"Oh enough." Louis had merely thrown a grape at James. "You had better get used to him since I'm telling both of these so called snakes the password so they can join us in Gryffindor tower for games and study." Louis shot at James sticking his tongue out.

"You are not! I absolutely won't allow it."

"What kind of a password is Lion's Paw anyway?" Interrupted Rosie who had obviously already been invited as well. "As much as I love figuring out the riddles to Ravenclaw tower I would love the familiarity of a set password." she finished with a mouthful of eggs.

"ROOSSEE!" James shouted angrily.

"Jaammees" she parroted, closing her book.

"We are going to be late for potions if we don't hurry." Scor whispered casting a wandless tempus to check the time.

"See you there. I have to grab a book" Rose had practically rocketed off.

"Scor I'll see you there too, I want to talk to James. It'll take me two seconds." I offered pushing a reluctant Scor towards the exit. He left with a concerned backwards glance.

"What do you want twerp?"

"James. If I am going to be stuck in Slytherin, you might as well let me be friends with him. Besides he is really nice. If you feel so strongly about it you can be suspicious, just try and at least act civil ok? I'm gonna be late so I will see you later." I hadn't even given him the opportunity to respond before I bolted out of the great hall. Always best never to let James say anything. As I told him on the train, speech is for the more evolved members of society.

 


	7. Isn't Dead too old to teach Potions?

SPOV

"Hey Scor where's Al? I thought he'd have come to class with you?" Rosie asked sitting down to my immediate right, materials already half set up in front of her. I had saved that seat for your cousin you twit. Where was he anyway?

"You know you are much too eager sometimes… how did you manage to get all that set up so fast?" I asked. "Besides I haven't the slightest idea where Al is." At that I heard the sound of a rucksack being dropped abrasively on the desk behind me. I turned to see a more than slightly flustered Al just settling into his seat. Why did he look so... distraught.

"Sorry I'm late Scor… I got a little… um… lost on the way. Why isn't the teacher here?" Al asked trying to hide what was obviously the real reason for his delay. I looked at him sternly, about to press the point further when Rosie started jabbering again.

"Why isn't he here yet?" Rose mimicked more than slightly annoyed and in a volume that was definitively loud enough for the entire class to hear. I raised an eyebrow at Al to tell him i didn't buy his story. We were going to discuss what had happened if it was the last thing i did.

"Mum says Hogwarts has a particularly bad history with regards to Potion Masters. I wonder if they found a professor at least somewhat less than entirely stupid to replace that imbecile Slughorn. She told me the only teacher she found worse than Slughorn was the insufferable Snape, but at least he was somewhat accomplished at the job." finished Rosie Indignantly, checking her watch.

"If memory serves your Mother was an insufferable know-it-all. I am pleased that I can add whiningly entitled to her daughters character traits as well. 5 points from Ravenclaw." Snapped a voice from the front of the classroom. We all stared at the empty space where the harsh reproach had come from, not realizing who had spoken until…

"NO way… but portraits are never detailed enough to be able to... well... teach." Rose sat there mouth agape, staring directly at a portrait of Severus Snape.  
"Well evidently you are mistaken. Tell me ms. Weasley shall we test just how willing you are to have points removed from your house on your first day of classes? Since you seem so absolutely sure of yourself why not make this an exercise?" professor Snape asked smugly from within the frame. We all just sat and stared in shock.

"How would you handle an unstable cauldron filled with poorly prepared Dragon Sting?"  
the question took Rosie by such surprise that she blinked three times in quick succession. She seemed wholly incapable of even speaking.

"Um i'm not sure professor, thats a third or fourth year potion. We don't even begin learning practical theory for that grade of brewing until the end of second year or even as late as the start of third sir." whispered Rosie quietly.

"I'm sorry. If you can't answer the question, in addition to another 5 points, you'll be joining me all weekend long as my assistant. Since I am stuck in this portrait I'll be needing someone to read me papers and file my wares, whom I of course can simultaneously berate for their incompetence. I was going to have an elf help but this seems like so much more fun." Finished Snape.  
I had to chuckle at the thought of Rose sitting in this dark room all weekend reading papers for this grouchy man's portrait.

"Ah mr. Malfoy, since you seem so delighted with that prospect you can join her should neither of you be able to answer." The professor added rounding on me this time.

"Oh… erm… well I… think I might have read something about crushed asphodel root in father's study… but I … um…" I stumbled, flustered by the man's harshness. I remembered reading that Braxter's theory stated any subcategory of Valerio…

"Its seems your father's lack of eloquence has been passed on to you, If perhaps not his knowledge and skill at potions. Come now, 50 points for anyone capable of answering. I'll even throw in a rare compliment to the winner. Can nobody answer my simple question?" He asked, barely giving me a chance to articulate what little I knew or allowing the class a chance to even think before resuming his berating diatribe.

"Well if points and flattery aren't enough motivation, perhaps a seven page long paper for the entire class on the history of dragonsting and its practical uses in the field might serve more properly as impetus to coax a reply from my cheeky first years?"

Merlin's ghost this man was dreadful. Rosie was sort of out of place, but in her defense she had no idea he was in the room when she'd said what she had or that _Severeus Snape_  would be teaching us.

APOV

I couldn't just let him pick on Rosie and Scor like that. Besides if I didn't say something now, we were all going to get so much extra coursework on our first day that we would still be at it long after our first year had ended. I couldn't deal with Marvolo's cryptic threat in the hall, a hateful James, being a Slytherin, _and_  extra coursework all at the same time. Scor knew the answer to this too and would have responded if Snape had only given him the chance. Why wouldn't Snape simply let him speak!

Oh how I hate drawing attention to myself…

but of course I had no choice, I had to answer…

Snape POV

"Thats a trick question." a voice squeaked from behind Draco's miniature.

"It depends which excess ingredient catalyzed the asphodel root's interaction with the dittany. If the ground hoarfrost was in excess, then the potion would foam up into a blueish paste and you could stabilize it with approximately two teaspoons of javu jelly. If the Phoenix ash was in excess, then the potion would bubble yellow and you could merely remove the burner, close the lid of the cauldron and wait for it to settle. If the giants' nail fillings were in excess… well the potion would start spitting red sparks and it would be my suggestion, to run as fast and far as possible before it exploded. Although all of that depends entirely on the manner of the asphodel's preparation since Braxter's theory claims crushed root to be more potent than ground petals." the squeaky voice added flawlessly.

"Who said that! Stand at once!" I ordered straining to see from the confines of my frame.  
I was painted by my original self years before his death in the event that his knowledge would be required to help the Order of the Phoenix in the war against Voldemort. A portrait retains much more of the original's memories and personality should its painter and subject be one and the same. That only made seeing her eyes again that much more difficult. The boy who stood from behind Draco's son looked like a softer version of his father and grandfather, and yet had those same horrible eyes. Those perfect green orbs belonged to her. It seemed so too did this child's affinity for potions.

"..." Not a soul spoke, nor even dared to breathe as they all waited for my reply. I had scarcely noticed the class's reaction as i myself was still attempting to make sense of the fact that the boy bore an emerald tie and matching robes. He was sorted in my house... of all places to end up.

"That is… correct." I offered quietly. I never expected to see any of that self-righteous martyr's children sort into Slytherin.

"Mr. Potter, I've seen your idiotic and aggressively accident prone Gryffindor brother in the headmistress's study half a dozen times... and it would seem you are… absolutely nothing alike. Tell me your name, and how on earth you managed to win yourself that green tie."

"Um… my name… well I…" The boy started shyly, looking down nervously at the papers on his desk.

"Come on, I won't call you stupid after that little display of knowledge, but I do hope I'm not wrong in assuming you know your own name?" I teased. He didn't stare with that same defiance that his father bore before him. That alone made me believe I could tolerate his presence in my class.

"I'm Albus. Albus Severus Potter." He finished, looking up to meet my gaze.

What did he just say?

"Severus? Really? That pompous trouble maker named one of his spawn after me? I don't know whether to be flattered or slightly repulsed. At least you seem somewhat competent at my subject." I offered, lying on both counts. He seemed to smile mischievously at my undervaluation of his skill. First, to be honest, it was an honor that Harry had chosen to name his son after me when I had shown him nothing but misery in his school days. Second, 'competent' didn't come close to describing the prowess this first year possessed. The potion I had tested the class with was impossibly difficult. Half of the third or fourth years couldn't prepare it correctly and that was with a potions manual set before them. This boy was simply speaking... a genius.

"So I'm pleased at having won my house those 50 points, but I do hope 'somewhat competent' wasn't your idea of a compliment. I believe both were rewards for succeeding in your little test." The boy returned with a flawless Slytherin smirk. The class grew very still at Albus's remark, they were no doubt waiting to see what horrible punishment I threw at him for his rudeness.

"50 points as promised… and… an extra 5 for brazen cheek. But I warn you..."

"woooo little Sev!" interrupted a replica Parkinson before I shot her a warning glare that silenced her so fast she nearly gulped down her own tongue.

"AS I was saying. I warn the rest of you, should I catch any one else trying that with me you'll all be scrubbing cauldrons for the remainder of your stay at Hogwarts. As for your compliment. I believe it should suffice that I require a two page version of said paper from everyone in the class but you. You may all thank Ms. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy for that." I finished, soliciting an enormous groan from the class.

"Sooo, no homework for me?" asked Albus grinning.

"Whatever gave you that idea? Little Sev was it? They all obviously need a refresher in the history of the potion as a start. Youuuu on the other hand will be needing to write about its preparation and the practical theory behind its use. And I will be having a word with you after class about placing into second year potions. Now everyone turn to page three-hundred and ninety-four."

 


	8. Talking to Portraits

Talking to Portraits

APOV

"Severus, where did you learn all of that theory about potions?" The portrait Snape asked seriously. I wasn't used to anyone calling me by my second name before. It felt strange that the grumpy professor should use it so easily. Well... it was his name, i thought stupidly to myself.

"I read a lot…" I began "and well my aunt teaches me stuff as well. She even lets me watch some of her work at the ministry since I've been spelled to secrecy." I finished trying to impress him with that. I don't know why I felt so uncomfortable around him.

"Ms Granger was an excellent student if entirely too irritating for my liking. You should count yourself lucky to have learned so much from her so soon." Snape added returning to his desk within the portrait world. It was more than weird to speak to a dead man's shadow. An eerie sense of falsity and grimness. Like an echo in the dark.

"I would like for you to consider becoming my private student when the headmistress finds a suitable replacement for the other classes. I will also make a personal recommendation that you be placed into second year potions regardless." The professor stated simply, writing a note on Hogwarts parchment and handing it to a witch who had entered his frame without warning. The portrait world must be quite strange. His suggestion had caught me by such surprised that I nearly squawked.

"I... understand what an honor it would be, but I honestly would hate to leave my friends behind. I've only just started classes." I offered sincerely, humbled by his offer. A more accurate description though would be that I was pissed at his treatment of the class and not quite ready to give in so easily. How could he have said those things to Rose and Score or even test us like that? It was absurd really. "Besides I'm quite close with Scor and i'm sure he knew the answer too, if you'd have given him a chance to speak he would have remembered Braxter's theory as well." The reproach had actually caught the professor off guard.

"Please. You and mr. Malfoy? That surprises me tremendously. That brand of kindness is more befitting a Lion or a Badger. You may be remarkable at potions but you remain a mere child. You are as transparent as your fathers cloak. I should warn you... You would do well not to lie on another's behalf since it will only hurt them later on—" Snape started before I cut him off.

"—I didn't lie, I can assure you he knew that answer. Scor's as smart as me. _You_ would do well not to presume to comment on things you know nothing about." I snapped bravely in my anger. I was tired of people repeating their surprise at our friendship, and Scor had beaten me at chess for Merlins sake! 

"Careful Potter, I wouldn't want you to lose the points you just won for your house by overstepping." Snape ground out through gritted teeth, casting me a warning glare before continuing. "If that is indeed true I apologize for my _assumption_. You should however remember a professor may _presume_ whatever he wishes, your father may be famous but that does not accord you his saintly preeminence." Snape added sarcastically, practically spitting out the last two words as though he had found them too distasteful to keep in his mouth. After he finished he looked into my green eyes for a long moment, pausing to consider something foreign.

"Would you rethink your decision to study under me if mr. Malfoy could indeed prove worthy to join us as well?" He finished contemplating his offer as though it were still alien and strange to hear out loud.

"Absolutely!" I had been trying to act tough and Slytherin and here I was shouting my excitement like and eleven year old boy… oh...

"Then you may tell Mr. Malfoy to present himself to me tomorrow evening so that I may assess his… skills. That will be all." Snape merely turned his back on me dismissively without warning.

"Severus?" i shot suddenly, clasping my hands over my mouth at the error. The man froze in place, shifting back to examine me with narrowed eyes. "Erm... that is... Professor."

"What?"

"I was wondering... If i agree to also assist you with some of those potions duties you needed finished... do you think you might share some stories about my grandmother with me?" I asked meekly, watching his expression change entirely. He stood there for a long time before answering. His eyes searching mine, watching. Finally his gaze was forced away, something lost calling his attention elsewhere.

"8:30 on thursdays. Don't be late. Insufferable Potters" He barked, flinging his cloak as he departed.

SPOV

"Stupid old portrait. Who does he think he is? Pompous, grouchy old codger." Al cursed, exiting class turning to find me lazily braced against the stone wall.

"Scor? You were waiting."

He noted simply. The boy merely gave me that stupid smile of his and moved to stand by my side as I detached myself from the wall. The ease with which we fell into step seemed somehow too strange. How can we move so seamlessly together? I set my random thoughts aside, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"What did the old shit want?"

More than that though, I really wanted to know why Al had come late to class, but that could wait. Besides it wouldn't do to let the green-eyed twit think I was actually kind of worried about him.

"Oh. That was him asking the both of us to be his private pupils after his replacement arrives." Al offered nocking his shoulder playfully into mine.

"What? Why me? I thou—" I started before Al continued his smug little story.

"—Wellll... I told him you knew the answer too, which I know you did, and wouldn't consider taking his offer if it meant leaving my friend behind. So he told me that if you passed his assessment tomorrow you could join me." Al finished nocking into me again, his infectious smile growing on his lips. My irritation kept me from smiling back.

"Al! that is not the Slytherin way! Those who can't keep up get left behind… and I barely remembered half of it. Although I suppose he never gave me a proper chance to respond…"

I was entirely too annoyed at the professor for that.

"Scor... I know you wouldn't have left me behind either so don't play games. And I saw you reading a year three potions textbook earlier.  _I_ knew you could have answered it." Al snapped turning right down the corridor. Well I wouldn't have left Al behind exactly... since it would have been entirely more likely for me to toss that ratty piece of kindling into our common room fireplace first.

"Fine... if I pass his test... at least we'll get to stay together."

"Besides it was entirely Slytherin of me. Now you'll owe me a favor. A Malfoy in my debt on day one. Not a bad way to start the year wouldn't you say?"

I scoffed at that, playfully punching his shoulder.

"By the way Al... why were you late to class?" I asked casually, turning left this time, hearing the distant sound of shifting stairs.

"I… got lost. I thought I mentioned…" He whispered slightly evasively.

My ass he got lost. His face said he didn't want to worry me anymore after last night's drama. Well at least I'm sure until the Headmistress denied him his request to transfer to another House. I gave him Father's raised eyebrow that meant you were full of shit and I knew it.

Finally I got him to spill.

"Well... I may have ran into Marvolo in the corridor's and he—"

Please not that morbidly disturbing child.

"What did he do?" I barked more than asked, interrupting Al mid-sentence and pulling him off the main corridor into a deserted side hall. 

"We… just spoke. He was curious about why he seemed to find me so familiar." Al explained sheepishly, not meeting my gaze. There was more to it than that.

"Well you are Harry Potter's son, its not a mystery as to how he knows you and besides that doesn't explain why you seemed so flustered when you finally got to class." I remarked skeptically. Marvolo was beyond dangerous and he had most likely said something to Al that was designed to mess with his head.

"First of all, I seem to have had the same feeling as him ok, and I'm entirely sure his knowing me had nothing to do with my Father appearing in history books or on tv. Second I was aggravated because not only had he made me late but he had tried to push some nonsense about you that I didn't buy for a second." Al sounded like he'd had enough of being interrogated.

"Do you still want to talk to the Headmistress?" I inquired changing the subject. What did Volo tell Al? That snake felt more dangerous than the majority of the death eaters still in Azkaban and knowing his father that was likely true.

"Well, quite frankly I don't think all the gold in Gringotts would make that hat change its mind."

Al gracefully dodged a fanged frisbee as we made our way further towards our charms classroom. 

"That musty old dish rag isn't the one who needs convincing, its Minerva Mcgonagall who you so unceremoniously refer to as old bat." I tossed at Al. "She's the headmistress, she's the one in control of the school, and as her favorite 'nephew' you are the one in control of her."

"Hey I'm certain your dish rag comment was what drove the hat to torment us like this in the first place you pompous twit. Besides you're just jealous that I'm untouchable." Al offered smiling. He is fond of his insults this one.

"You're already _touched_ Al and I know what made that hat do what it did and its decision had nothing to do with my accurate assessment of its condition." I threw back referring to what we both knew to be the cause of our predicament.

"I am perfectly sane, _thank you_. And _you_ will recall your clumsiness got us into _that_ mess." Al corrected walking backwards to face me with a smile. He continued before I could remind him that it was his clumsiness that had nearly drowned me in that pink goop and that walking backwards was a stupid way of asking for a repeat disaster.

"Rosie slipped me a note in class Scor. Apparently the sorting hat's decision is final and magically binding. Thats why she ran off for that book this morning. So I guess that means I'm stuck with Rori and Maddy." Al finished conveniently leaving me out with a devilish smirk, eyes flashing a darker Slytherin green that said he was laughing hysterically on the inside.

I was about to respond when he skillfully ducked into class leaving me open mouthed in the middle of a busy corridor, looking quite the fool.

I will get you for that Al.

At least he'll be in Slytherin with me. That thought made me smile.


	9. Tides of Violence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the heaviest chapter politically and syntactically. If you make it through this one you won't have to deal with anything remotely as dense ever again. Fluffy first year friendship drama and cuddling will resume in the next chapter until the plot begins to develop. Now that I finally edited this really tough chapter I can get back to posting the next forty or so. Check in regularly because from now on there will be something new almost every other day.

SPOV

"Welcome Rose, Al, Scorpius to the wonder that is Gryffindor tower!" cried Louis, flinging his arms wide in the air at the entrance to the common room.

"Now all of you lions be warned! These three are under my personal protection. You don't want to pick a fight with the entire Weasley clan so I suggest you don't give them any trouble." Cried Louis into the room of roughhousing boys and giggling girls. We settled in and in moments were laughing and joking with the rest of them. I couldn't imagine how natural it felt. Even Scorpius was enjoying himself. We continued that way for what seemed like hours until someone finally brought up the recent news.

"Damn those bastards and their threats. How can the ministry do this?" A boy half cursed as he thumbed through a series of letters and newspapers. He fled from the room so fast I almost missed the expression of absolute terror written on his face.

"Did you hear about about what the Purists are doing? Apparently they've threatened to withdraw all of their gold from Gringotts and cease their contributions to the ministry should the legislations against the purebloods and the other prominent nine-tenth families not be repealed by Christmas." Lou whispered so as not to draw attention.

"Yeah and it's complete madness! The magical community depends on that money for survival. Besides how can they risk a goblin revolt now? I'm certain the goblin clans would back the sacred twenty-eight since they are some of the wealthiest witches and wizards in the world." Rosie remarked, eyeing me furtively from her corner of the room. She was clearly aware of the growing political strife. Why are the Potter-Weasleys divided into extraordinary geniuses and imbecilic twits?

"I heard that Minister for Magic Shacklebolt is under enormous pressure by the Reformation party to go the opposite direction and increase limitations on families that are ninety percent pureblooded. He can hardly remain objective since the Shacklebolts still remain part of the S28." Connor Finnegan added finally eyeing the common room most likely for signs of the Abbots or Macmillons.

"Why is this only happening now after all this time?" asked James stupidly. He really knew nothing.

"Well it all started because of that blasted paper! The International Confederation of Warlocks was presented new documents that detail a reawakening ceremony of magical blood in undiluted families. They've discovered a way to enhance the potency of innate magic through pureblood lineage. The Reformation party is terrified that the S28 might use those new rituals to reignite the muggle purges of the first and second wars." Rose explained in her most matter of fact tone. I knew what she was talking about but I doubted anyone else had a clue.

"Are you serious?" James screeched loudly. "Purebloods have always claimed they were superior now there's a way they can actually establish it?"

"But aren't the Weasleys and the Prewetts part of the S28?" Asked Connor worriedly looking at Al and James.

"Well the Weasley's, the Prewetts, the Longbottoms and several others were exempt from the legislations because of their actions during the war. But even many of the pureblooded families that fought against Voldemort have been targeted. The radicals aren't happy that the international community is also starting to fume over the same issues." Al explained, finally pitching into the gloomy conversation.

"Thats right the wizarding communities in France, Japan and Germany are growing restless too. The Reformation party most likely fears that the purebloods might exploit the research to argue expanding their control over the government." Rose was looking at me as though I should have been the one explaining this instead of her and Al. I hate that they assume i should.

"Since the Malfoy family assimilated the majority of the pureblooded female members of Great Britains original founders through the ages, Draco Malfoy now holds the last 'Supreme Patron of Founders' title, as Scor will after him." Al turned to me as he spoke, eyes examining me like the rest of them.

"Does your father know anything about whats going on?" Al asked curiously. I wanted off the subject as fast as possible. I figured fleshing it out was the quickest way to escape.

"Its worse than you know. My grandfather Lucius was stripped of his titles, lands, and wealth, all of it passing to Father and Grandmother for their decisive betrayal of the dark lord at the critical final hours of the war. As such Father runs whats left of the founders council in the Ministry but refuses to get involved in the Radical and Purists conflict. Things are getting tenser than ever since the majority of the purebloods look to him for guidance." I started.

"While I understand the Founders Council is important they cant overrule the Wizenmoot so how is that worse than we know?" asked Rosie curiously.

"Alexandre deDrée and the Cröy Sisters: Evengeline, Abelinda and Candria wrote Father recently. When he refused their requests... Augustin of house Valois himself paid father a visit over the summer." I started slowly. All eyes went wide in shock at the mention of the name.

"No Way!" cried Louis. "Augustin as in the former Supreme Mugwump of the ICW and Warlock patriarch of the Valois family? The House Valois as in the richest and oldest pureblooded family in the world?" Louis asked loudly.

"The same" I countered although oldest was debatable... they just ate all the other families, devouring them through marriage after marriage.

"I've heard maman is far descended from one of the female Valois but for Augustin himself to pay you a visit… what did he want?" Louis continued slightly fearful of my answer.

"Well Augustin and Father were friends for a long time and his sister was at one time promised to Draco, so he pretended that it was just a social call by an old friend. I'm certain however that it was about Father joining the Sacred Houses coalition, since the deDrées and the Cröys wrote to Father about it first. The coalition consists of the oldest and entirely pureblooded Patron Founders from every magical community around the world. Since the British ministry of magic is one of the most powerful, Father's involvement would be an enormous victory for the coalition. Father said when they have amassed enough support they plan to threaten to remove their seals from each of the founders walls should the magical legislations made against them not be repealed by the ICW and the individual ministries." I finished darkly.

"WHAT! But thats suicide!" cried Rose.

"Whats all this about founders walls?" asked James rather stupidly. My head was starting to hurt with all the talk of politics. I couldn't wait to be done with this conversation. I looked at my brunette best friend. His eyes dancing wildly with delight at his brother's ignorance.

"Don't you know anything Jamie?" asked Al sarcastically, explaining for Rose.

"Each ministry depends on the seals of their respective founders for the magical energy they use to govern their respective countries." Said Al.

"What are you talking about? The Wizengamot runs Britain not some stupid wall or founders council." James snapped defensively.

"Well what do you think powers the trace? Or the cloaking matrix that protects our world from the muggles? Or even binds the treaties made with the various other sentient races or fellow ministries? All of our largest and most complex spells are powered by blood and the hundreds of magical seals belonging to the founding members of Britain placed in the Ministry ages ago. Who else but the founders council governs that magic? The founders walls of Great Britain, America, France, Japan, Germany, Greece and Egypt make up the Seven greatest walls in the world." Al finished tiredly as though he had explained something that should be common knowledge.

"I don't understand if these walls are so powerful, why wouldn't the ministry have used them to fight Voldemort?" James asked.

"Because you twit the majority of our founders council was composed of his supporters. Nobody would have agreed to using the wall against him, but neither would they dare declare publicly that they would have used its power for him until the ministry fell, well aside from the Lestranges and maybe the Blacks." Rose finished.

"So what can these Valois really accomplish? How can a family of stuck up French be as powerful as all that?" James asked.

"Because for starters every single member of that family has passed Warlock qualifications by age 23 for the last millennia and a half, power is in their blood. Second they have accumulated so many great families through marriage that they have a web of connections running through Europe and beyond. Their name is so magically powerful that the female line carries Valois jointly even after the first generation through marriage. Which means two females must be born to discontinue the name." Louis said.

"And why does that matter?" asked James eyebrows furrowed as though he was having trouble comprehending what was being said.

"Merlin you are so dense James. the founders walls consists of a multitude of family seals, when a formerly extant family dies off or joins another the seal is replaced with that of their closest living relatives. The French Court of Magic disbanded the Paris founders council when the last three families assimilated into house Valois. Augustin, his brothers and cousins control the magic of the Paris founders wall entirely on their own." Al finished darkly, he knew a lot about those horrid wretches. I wonder how.

"Thats crazy! One Family basically controls all of magical France?" James yelped in outrage.

"Hahahaha. Actually, the first thing Augustin's father Audric did was to make the palaces of Versailles and the Louvre the Valois personal residences using the magic of the wall to cloak their presence from the Muggles who think they are stlil museums. They are royalty in all but title." Louis was right about that one.

"Don't tell me you don't remember meeting Acelin, Apolline, and Cyrille?" Al asked James with feigned incredulity. "Oh right Dad didn't take you did he?" he finished tauntingly. "Can you believe they wanted to arrange a betrothal between me and Apolline when Augustin found out I was a prodigy? As if we were pieces to be moved about on a chess board." Al quipped indignantly.

"How do you know the Valois?" I asked, curious that Augustin would allow, let alone arrange his daughters marriage to a wizard anything less than nine-tenths pure. In truth only the first born males were required to marry purebloods, but I still found the idea strange. I suppose power was more important in this case than blood purity.

"Augustin has invited dad to his stupid balls years in a row. The War hero of Britain who survived the killing curse and defeated the only wizard next to Dumbledore who could best his father Audric in a duel. Naturally since Louis taught me french dad and mom thought it would be incredibly fun to bring me along. I'm surprised Aunt Fleur didn't mention the soirée to you Lou. She is Azure Valois-Cambray's great granddaughter and was invited as well." the green eyed twit was being unusually slytherin tonight. Ha maybe the mere mention of those horrible children is infectious.

"Maman most certainly did not!" Lou pouted in a manner that meant he felt extremely cheated. James also seemed upset. Like he had missed out not only on the opportunity but that Al seemed to grasp so much more of what the world really was like. He looked utterly confused by the political games being played and hadn't even heard of the Founder's wall or even the council. Well I suppose we try and keep it that way. Nobody bothers talking about it because the council always seems to agree to whatever the Wizengamot decides is best. The council actually was responsible for placing the Taboo on Voldemorts name during the war so that they could track anyone brave enough to say it out loud.

"Come on my little brother you are much too serious for you own good" Said Teddy hearing our conversation. He had resurfaced from Victoire's mouth for air moments ago and had decided to come over to us when she had made to leave. He crossed the room picking up Al from behind to whirl him around playfully in the air. Al merely laughed and smiled as though all the weight of our conversation had lifted away from him. Marvolo… Purists Threats... Radical reprisals... The Valois… The coalition… all on top of Al's very powerful and entirely unstable magic. I still had to study for my potions exam with Snape tomorrow evening… what a first day. This was going to be a tough year, i could just tell.


End file.
